The Problem with Revenge
by DarkHeartMistress
Summary: It was love at first sight. At least that's what they thought. A misunderstanding led to an assassination attempt. A meeting three years later threatens to turn their lives upside down... again. AU KK
1. Bitter Sweet

Alright, so here it goes. I'm going through and re-editing the chapters already posted for this story and I will be adding new chapters as well. While I wait for people to review my new HP fic, I will work on this one. As always, please feel free to review!

Disclaimer: I do not own RK or any of the characters. This plot and all original characters are my own

* * *

The inky darkness that surrounded her was overwhelming. However, she was used to it by now. The only light in the cell came from the soft glow beneath the heavy steel door. She had only left the small, dirty cell a handful of times over what she could only assume had been several years. She wasn't even sure how many years, months, or days she had been there. At first she had tried keeping track of the days that went by, but as time had dragged on in the never ending darkness, day merged into night and then back to day again without her knowledge. Keeping track of her time there had simply been too hard to manage.

The people who came to interrogate her never told her the date. Sometimes they would bring a chair into her cell and tie her to it, other times they would drag her tired body to a room down the hall and would interrogate her there. Either way, it was always the same questions, the same answers, and the same never ending routine. Her rations were simple: water and a variance between bread, a few leafy greens, and some meaty concoction that made her throw it up the first time she ate it.

Her eyes had grown accustomed to her dark cell. In all it was about six feet by five feet. She had a small cot against the wall and a thin blanket. No pillow. A pot sat in one corner for her to use as a restroom. Her version of a shower was the weekly dumping of a bucket of water over her head by the cruel guardsmen. She missed the luxuries of the outside world. She missed the life she had led before this… She _missed_ Kenshin. Kenshin had betrayed her though. She thought she had finally found her soul-mate in him, until she had discovered that he was a spy for another organization, he was cheating on her, and planning on killing her. Life had never been so cruel when she had read those condemning documents hidden away in his brief case.

_**Flashback**_

Kaoru had just turned nineteen. She had been dating Kenshin Ito for almost a year. One extremely good year. Before Kenshin, Kaoru had never seriously dated anyone. She had trust issues that ran deep and painful since her childhood. However, Kenshin's kind words and persistence had finally caused Kaoru to concede to him and go on a date. She had been happy ever since.

Tomorrow would mark their one year anniversary. Kenshin had told her he had something 'special' planned for them and Kaoru believed it to be a romantic dinner. The night before their anniversary, Kaoru had decided to go over to his apartment while Kenshin was at work and cook him dinner. She had a vague idea of where he worked; some small insurance business. Kenshin never liked to mix his business and personal lives, and would always avoid talking about work with her. He was a good four years older than her, but that did not seem to matter to either of them.

Kaoru had been on her own as a foster child since she was seven. She had a secretarial part-time job working for the Japanese government, which was nice because her foster parents both worked for the government. Kenshin was not supposed to know about Kaoru's job. A strictly need to know basis was required for her work. It was not as if she were a spy or even handling important documents. It was because her parents handled important things and any leaks in information could be very bad for her parents and the government. Every once in a while they would have her go undercover at a business and get some files or information, but that was the extent of the dangerous work Kaoru did. Once she had even been sent over seas as an interpreter. She always had a forged identity when doing things for the government outside of the building she worked in. With some nicely done make-up, she always looked older than her actual age, and usually posed in her mid to late twenties.

_Kaoru P.O.V._

_I can't believe it has already been a year since I let Kenshin take me out on our first date,_ I thought with a happy smile. Ever since Kenshin had told me he had plans for us on our anniversary, I had been thinking of ways to give him his own surprise. It had taken me a while to come up with an idea, but I had finally decided on making him a wonderful dinner.

As I arrived at his apartment building, I caught myself eyeing the fancy, modern design of the building. It was truly a nice apartment complex to live in. Grabbing my grocery bags out of the back seat of my car, I walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the seventh floor, waiting patiently as the doors dinged shut once I entered. The ride was swift and no one else got into the elevator before I finally reached the seventh floor.

When the doors opened, a young woman entered as I exited. I was surprised by the unfriendly look I received as I politely said 'hello'. Her hair was wrapped in a scarf and sunglasses covered her eyes. She was taller than me and I became jealous when I noted her stylish fashion and nice figure. My own figure was very tomboyish. I usually kept my hair in a ponytail and hardly ever wore make-up, unless it was for work. My wardrobe was hardly any better, consisting of many pairs of pants and t-shirts, I owned only one skirt. Shaking these silly thoughts from my head I ignored the woman and walked down the hall to apartment 708.

I used the key Kenshin had given me to open the door and I shuffled in. Relief filled me as I was finally able to put the groceries down on the kitchen counter. I looked at my tired hands which had turned red from holding the plastic bags for so long, before walking to the refrigerator and grabbing a a bottle of water from inside of it. My sapphire eyes scanned the apartment as I relaxed for a few moments. Everything in the living room was neat and tidy. Kenshin was borderline obsessive about making sure everything was in its proper place. I heard a beep come from the laundry room and assumed that he must have put his laundry in the machine before leaving for work that morning. I walked into the room and saw that the clothes in the dryer were done. I set about folding the dry clothes, before placing his newly washed whites into the dryer and turned on the machine. Taking the laundry basket with me, I went to Kenshin's room and set the basket onto his bed. Surprise filled me as I noticed his bed was unmade and a pair of boxers lay crumpled on the floor. It was unlike Kenshin to leave a mess. I passed it off as him having been in a rush that morning as I bent down to pick up his boxers and threw them into the dirty laundry hamper in the corner. I set about hanging up his work shirts in the closet and placing his folded casual clothes in the drawers.

My eyes narrowed however when I opened his underwear drawer. I black lace bra was shoved into the corner of the drawer, as if someone had been in a hurry. I picked it up and stared at it intently for a moment. The bra was not mine. Although Kenshin and I had gotten caught up in the moment a few times while we kissed, I had never gone too far with him, my own insecurities holding me back. A sliver of suspicion and fear sliced through my heart.

"Is Kenshin cheating on me?" I whispered out loud as I held the bra in my hands. I was unsure of what to make of this find. The sensible part of my brain told me that it must belong to his ex-girlfriend who he had broken up with six months before we started dating. At least, that is what he had told me.

With another disgusted look at the bra I placed it back in the drawer, determined to ask Kenshin about it when he got home. After putting the rest of his clothes away I set about making his bed. I straightened out the soft blue sheets before placing the navy comforter back on the bed. I organized the pillows and smoothed down the blanket before taking a seat on the bed. I had been unable to dispel the suspicion from my mind after finding the bra in his closet. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed uncomfortably. It was then that I noticed the drawer of his bedside table open slightly. I reached towards it and pulled it open, curious as to what was inside.

Inside the drawer were two books on accounting, a small black box, a box of condoms, and a picture of Kenshin and I on our second date. I smiled at the picture before turning my gaze to the other contents of the drawer. _Condoms?_ the box struck me as odd. Kenshin had told me he accepted my hesitation about taking the next step in our relationship and that he would not pressure me into anything. So why was there a box of condoms in his nightstand drawer? My eyes shifted from the condoms to the black box underneath them. I reached into the drawer and pulled the box out, placing it into my lap. I was surprised to see a lock on the box, however that did not deter me. I reached up to my hair and pulled out the bobby pin that had been holding my bangs out of my face. I messed with the lock for several moments, using the skills my uncle had taught me, and I was pleased to hear the sound of the mechanisms inside the lock turning into place. I opened the lid of the box and was surprised by what I found

Inside the small black box was a piece of paper. I immediately opened the folded sheet and saw the number written there. I thought it was odd for Kenshin to keep a phone number inside of a locked box, but shrugged it off. The next thing I found made my heart stop. A picture was located underneath a jewelry store box. I pulled out the picture and realized it was Kenshin and his ex-girlfriend. The looked so happy in the picture, Kenshin smiling genuinely, with his left arm wrapped around the woman's waist. She was beautiful to look at. Bright brown eyes stared back at me. Her dark black hair stop in her mid back and her figure was much more womanly than mine. I flipped the picture over and inhaled a sharp breath. In Kenshin's neat script was written 'Engagement Part April 21, 2007'. I could not believe what I was seeing. According to this picture, Kenshin and this woman had become engaged not but three months ago! I had been seeing Kenshin for almost a year already.

Taking a shaky breath I put the picture down and opened the box. A dazzling engagement ring stared back at me and I wanted to cry. I closed the box with a soft click and placed it back into the drawer. Shakily, I stood and left Kenshin's bedroom and walked back to the living room. I looked around the quiet apartment, wanting some type of answer for this painful betrayal. I had truly thought Kenshin had loved me. I guess love is something a person can only dream of and not something real.

I grabbed my ponytail and began twisting it anxiously, a nervous habit I developed when I was a child. I looked around the living room and turned towards the kitchen. I needed something to drink. I walked to the kitch and grabbed a glass from the cabinet, my hand shaking slightly. I filled it up with water from the tap and took a steady drink while I attempted to calm myself.

A loud ring erupted throughout the apartment and I jumped, dropping the glass of water from my hand. The glass shattered across the kitchen floor and I gasped in shock before staring at the offending telephone hanging on the wall. There was no way I could answer the phone now. I looked down to the tile floor where the broken glass and water lay before looking around for a broom. I remembered seeing one in the hall closet once during Christmas, when I put my winter jacket there, and I turned towards the hallway to go retrieve it. When I opened the closet door, I spotted the broom in the far corner. However, my eyes were drawn to the black leather briefcase sitting in front of the broom on the floor. Kenshin always took his briefcase with him to work. More suspicion crept into my thoughts as I stared at it for a few moments.

"He never even let me touch it. Why would he leave it here?" I asked aloud as I took the briefcase and the broom from the closet. I walked back into the living room and sat down on the plush, leather sofa and placed the briefcase on my lap. It had a lock on it as well, and I pulled the same bobby pin that I had used early from my pocket where I had put it. I had no idea what came over me as the desire to pull all of Kenshin's secrets from the shadows, where he had been hiding them into the light, took hold. My hands had become sweaty as I finally opened the lock on the briefcase. My mind is determined to see if there are more pictures inside, while my heart tells me I cannot handle anymore betrayal.

Inside are a stack of papers, a folder, and a few pens. The contents appeared to be those of a normal businessman's briefcase, but I decided to investigate what else was inside of it. I looked at the folder and for the second time that day my heart stopped. My birth name is on the folder, not the name I took as my own when my foster parents took me in. The folder reads Kamiya, Kaoru. I have only ever told Kenshin that my name was Kaoru Fujimiya. Opening the folder my eyes widen as I read the information. My entire life history is here, as if the folder was taken from the office where my foster parents worked. No one should have this kind of information on me. A baby picture catches my eye, and tears clouded my sight as I realized it was a picture of me as a three year old with my birth parents. A breath leaves my body that I never realized I was holding. I flip through the rest of the papers, everything from my blood type to what I have done for the past year is within these documents.

"Kenshin is a spy." The words leave my lips without my realizing them. He must have been spying on me for the past year. "I'm only an assignment."

It hits me like a load of bricks that he never loved me. I was only a job to him. The phrase keep your friends close and your enemies closer runs through my head. I turned my attention to the other papers and look at the first page. My name is printed on it and my birth date. I flip through the papers, each a copy of the ones before it, but with updated dates and information about me. I come to a paper with tomorrow's date and I almost cry out as my blood runs cold in my veins. Status: To Be Eliminated is typed in the corner. It dawns on me that Kenshin is supposed to kill me tomorrow. Not caring about the groceries or anything else, I closed the briefcase and fled Kenshin's apartment.

I ran out of the apartment and down the stairs, not daring to try the elevator. Instinct began to kick in as I realized that someone could have been watching me this whole time. I ran into the parking lot and towards my car, glancing around nervously. As I opened my car door and sat down in the seat, my drifting eyes catch a glimpse of a man standing across the street from the complex. His dark brown hair and lanky body seems somewhat familiar before I realize he is one of Kenshin's friends. I had met him at a party a while back; his name comes to me, Sanosuke Sagara.

He is watching me and I realize how I must have just looked, running out of my boyfriend's apartment, carrying his briefcase. He was leaning against a light pole, smoking a cigarette as I drove past and he continued to watch me until I am out of sight. My last view of him was of him pulling out his cell phone. Dread coursed through my body as I pulled out my own phone, but stop before dialing my father's number. My phone is probably bugged and without hesitation I rolled my window down and through my phone out onto the street. How stupid could I have been? There is only one place for me to go, my parents' office.

_End Flashback and P.O.V._

Kaoru sat huddled in the corner of her cot, her thin arms wrapped around her bony legs as she rester her chin on her knees. Her mind drifted back to her last few days of freedom as she thought of the blissfully unaware life she had led, before Kenshin's betrayal. She missed her foster mother and father. She missed her playful cocker spaniel, Momo. She missed her friends. She missed her life.

Without warning, the door to her cell burst open. Bright light flooded the cramped space and her eyes shut from the pain. As she cringed away from the light, she felt arms grab her on both sides. She tried to squint her eyes open, but the light was to harsh after so long in the dark. The man on her right squeezed her arm painfully and told her not to struggle. She wanted to laugh at his command because she had learned a long time ago that if she fought back, she would not stay conscious for long and she would most likely wake up with more than a few bruises.

"What is going on?" Came her ill used, raspy voice as the men dragged her slumping form down a bright hallway. Her legs could not move fast enough to keep up with their brisk pace, leaving her to be half dragged down the hallway.

"We're taking you somewhere nice." The man on her left said, his voice sickeningly cheerful, as if he was thinking sick thoughts in his mind. Kaoru still could not open her eyes to see the men, but the conversation was making her head spin. She caught brief words like trip, plane, and America, but that was all she could understand. She had been barely kept alive over the past few years, and her malnourished body showed the signs of her abuse.

It seemed as if the walk would never end and Kaoru vaguely heard doors opening. She was surprised when she felt herself pushed roughly into the back of a car. Suddenly her wrists and ankles were being tied together with coarse rope. Her eyes fluttered open, attempting to view where she was. She took her time, letting her eyes try to adjust to the light, but her quest to see the outside world was stopped when someone placed a blindfold over her eyes. She sighed sadly and allowed herself to sink deeper into the plush leather seats of the vehicle. It had been years since she was this comfortably seated. If they were planning on taking her to her death, she reasoned, she might as well be comfortable.

An hour or two later the car finally came to a stop and she was roughly dragged from the vehicle. She heard the sound of what seemed like an airplane's engine before she was dragged up several steps and roughly placed into another cushioned seat. The men removed the blindfold from her eyes as they fastened her seatbelt. She opened her eyes slightly, and was relieved to be able to make out blurry figures moving about the airplane cabin. She was mildly surprised when a tall man in a business suit sat down in a seat across the aisle from her. One of the men who had dragged her about came over and handcuffed her right arm to the armrest and her right leg to the foot rest in front of her.

Were they stupid? She could barely open her eyes, let alone fight back. Not only did they think it was necessary to tie her arms together, but they had to handcuff her as well. What was she going to do? Hijack the plane? She grumbled curses in her mind as she glanced sideways out the open window and sighed. It was going to be a long flight if what they said about going to America was true. Sinking down into the seat, she drifted off into unconsciousness.

* * *

Alrighty, this is the first revamped chapter. I hope you like. I will get to the others when I have time. Let me know what you think!

-DHM


	2. Timeless

Alright, so Chapter 2 is officially updated now! Aren't you proud of me? lol. Anyways, I will keep working on this, so keep reviewing and tell me what you think ^_^

I do not own RK, but the plot in this story is mine, thieves will be beaten black and blue with Kaoru's bokken!

* * *

Chapter 2: Timeless

The first thing Kaoru realized when she drifted back to the world of the living was that her ears hurt. The pressure in her ears as the private plane descended had her yawning and trying to relieve the pressure. When she opened her eyes, she realized her vision was still blurry, but had improved slightly. She squinted around the cabin and watched apprehensively as the burly men who had dragged her from her cell, hours ago, approached her once more. They gave her cruel looks as they settled into the seats behind her and Kaoru clenched her hands in worry. The smartly dressed businessman who had been seated across the aisle from her was still sitting where she had last seen him, a newspaper in his hands.

Kaoru had never seen the man before and that worried her. Was he in charge of her sudden move from where she had been kept? Was he going to be the next person to interrogate her? She did not like this situation, but what could she do. There was no way her malnourished body and poor sight were going to help her escape Dumb and Dumber, the two guards who seemed to enjoy roughing her up, even if she had a weapon. For now she would have to remain patient and if the opportunity presented itself to her, she would escape.

The plane landed on the runway smoothly, and before Kaoru had a chance to look out the window, a bag was placed over her head blocking her vision. Dumb and Dumber were rough as they released her from her bonds and pulled her roughly to her feet.

"No funny business." Dumber muttered, his voice gruff as he pulled her from the seat.

Kaoru stumbled over her shaky legs as they half carried, half dragged her down the stairs from the plane to the asphalt runway. She could hear the faint motor of a vehicle running and was not surprised when she was pushed into the back of a vehicle. She reminded herself to breathe calmly under the stifling bag. It was entirely too hot, both outside and inside of the bag. The warmer climate outside led her to believe they were no longer in Japan. Curiosity overwhelmed her and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Where -" pain flooded Kaoru's head as she was sent into the opposite door of the vehicle, her pain only doubling when her head made contact with the window. _That must mean no questions,_ Kaoru thought grouchily to herself.

Kaoru let a suppressed breath escape her as she pushed the pain to the back of her mind. She had taught herself to become numb to the pain. Having been interrogated multiple times had quickly taught Kaoru how to retreat into her mind and escape the pain inflicted upon her body. It never made sense to her, she knew nothing of the subjects they questioned her about. She was useless, so why did they insist on keeping her a prisoner? Kaoru had no answers, not for the interrogators, and certainly not for herself.

As she sat in the backseat of the car, Kaoru thought back to the time she had spent in that miserable cell. Sometimes she had spent hours wishing for her death, to end the pain and suffering. Sometimes she wished a knight in shining armor would come to rescue her. She had just wanted that never ending existence to end, to leave the dark, dank cell far behind and never look back. Whether that was through freedom or death mattered not to her.

* * *

_Flashback_

Kaoru's palms were sweating and her heart was pounding as pulled up in front of her parents' office and jumped out, Kenshin's briefcase firmly planted under her arm. She walked calmly up the steps and into the building, nodding as she passed the security guard at the front desk and continued walking, attempting to appear normal. She made it to the elevator and pressed the button for the seventeenth floor and a few moments later the doors dinged open and she walked into the hallway. Several security cameras followed her movements and she nodded to her father's secretary as she stalked towards his office, her heart fluttering wildly.

The dark haired young woman opened the door to her father's office without knocking. Her sapphire gaze landed on the tall, grey haired man sitting behind his mahogany desk, phone attached to his right ear. His soft brown eyes took in the slightly frazzled appearance of his foster daughter with apprehension. He mumbled a quick farewell and hung up the phone as he stood from behind his desk and hurried to Kaoru's side.

"What's happened?" He spoke, as she sat down on the leather sofa, to the side of Kato's desk, and put the briefcase on the glass coffee table for his inspection.

"It…It's Kenshin." Kaoru whispered, her blue eyes locking with dark brown. "He's not who we thought he was... Who _I_ thought he was," her voice cracking slightly.

"What do you mean? I had him checked out when you two first started dating; I found all of his information genuine and reliable." Kato said moving his eyes to the briefcase questioningly. How could it be possible that Kenshin was not who they thought he was. Kato's sources were always reliable and trustworthy.

"It's... Kenshin... he's a spy of some sort and I'm his target. It's all in the briefcase." She spoke in one gush of breath; her hands moved anxiously and began twisting her ponytail.

Kato turned the briefcase towards himself and opened it. He sorted through the papers and files as his eyes traveled expertly over the documents. When he was finished some minutes later he looked up at his daughter, an unreadable expression in his dark eyes.

"If this information is correct then we have a mole. There's no way they could have gotten this information any other way. It doesn't say which organization he is working for, but I have a suspicion. There are many enemies of the current Japanese government, and he appears to be working for just one of them, probably led by Makoto Shishio." Kato leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his face as he his mind quickly processed what needed to be done. Kaoru watched her foster father, fear still evident in her eyes. The feeling of insecurity and childishness seemed to rush over her. She felt herself drifting back to the time when she had been seven years old and her parents had just been murdered.

"He's planning to kill me on our… our anniversary. What kind of sick, twisted game is this to them?" She whispered, her eyes darting around the room. She fought back tears as she finally settled her gaze back on her father, a grim determination settling in her blue gaze.

Kato looked at Kaoru and sighed. He would have to protect her, which meant killing Kenshin before Kenshin could get to her. He thought for a few moments more before making his decision.

"I want you to go home and stay there. I'm sending Kenta and Daichi with you as protection. I trust them and they know if anything happens to you they'll be the ones paying the price. You're not to leave the house and only answer the phone if it says I'm calling."

"Yes, sir." She whispered as she stood and moved to the door. Kenta and Daichi, Kato's bodyguards, were already standing outside the door when the pair left the office. A few swift words from Kato had both bodyguards bowing stiffly and turning serious faces to Kaoru. Kaoru's hands shook as they escorted her down the hallway and back into the parking lot. She sat in the back seat as Daichi drove, with Kenta next to her. When they arrived at the Fujimiya household, Kahj entered the house and cleared it. Kaoru went to the dojo at the back of her parents' large estate and it was there she waited until death came knocking.

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_

She hadn't known how long she had been drifting through her memories, but when the car slammed sideways suddenly with the sickening sound of crunching metal, her vision saw spots as she hit her head against the driver's side seat. The crunching sound as the metal of the vehicle bent around the occupants was sickening. Her head was still ringing when the car came to a screeching halt. Her hands were still tied and the bag had somehow remained over her head so she was unable to see what had happened, but she could hear moans of pain coming from her captors in the front seat.

Without warning, the doors to the back of the car were pried open and rough hands dragged her from the back of the mutilated vehicle. Kaoru's mind was too fuzzy to process what was going on. People were talking around her as she was dragged across pavement by her upper arms and placed in the back of another vehicle. The ringing in her ears kept her from understanding exactly what was going on and her uncertainty left her shaking and in shock.

When the fuzziness finally receded and the ringing became a dull throb, Kaoru sat back against the leather seat of the vehicle she was in and considered her new situation. _I think I've just been kidnapped from my kidnappers,_ the thought slightly amused her before amusement turned to irritation.

"Why the fuck do these things keep happening to me?" Kaoru groaned out. When Kaoru was not immediately hit for speaking she realized with certainty that these were not the same people as the ones she had just been taken from. A soft chuckle met her ears and Kaoru was temporarily blinded as the hood was pulled from her head. She gasped in cool air, never having realized just how stifling it had been under the hood.

Vaguely, Kaoru felt a warm sticky substance dripping down her face, and it was not until someone put a cloth to the wound did Kaoru realize she was bleeding. She winced slightly at the pressure applied to her injury, but she had felt worse pain in the past. Her startled blue eyes finally focused on the person in front of her and she was only mildly surprised to see the person wearing a ski mask.

"She looks familiar." A male voice to her right spoke. Her blue eyes drifted in that direction to meet a pair of brown eyes, the man's face hidden behind one of the black ski masks.

After a moment of scrutinizing her, the man removed his mask to reveal bushy brown hair and a young face.

Sanosuke Sagara. The name flashed through Kaoru's mind in an instant. Recognition flashed in her eyes as she scrambled back in her seat away from the tall man. Her face had paled upon seeing him as her gaze darted around the vehicle. She vaguely noted that it appeared to be a large SUV. Two people sat in the front, two more in the back, and Sanosuke was seated opposite from her in the middle.

"What do you mean?" Came a quiet voice from the front seat. Kaoru's eyes flashed forward as the person in the passenger side pulled the black mask from his face. Fiery red hair was the first thing Kaoru saw before her eyes locked with a pair of eyes the color of molten gold. Her mind was blissfully numb for a moment before her heart did a flip in her chest. Recognition finally dawned on her as the man spoke.

"Kaoru." Kenshin whispered, as he locked eyes with the woman he had betrayed.

_

* * *

_

And I've decided to leave off there for now until I update with the next revised chapter. Please review and tell me what you think, whether you like it or not.

My muse likes cliffs

-DHM-


	3. Ghost

Okay, so here's the third chapter. I hope you guys have liked the improvements thus far. I'm considering changing the rating on this but I'm not sure... I'll see where it goes. Anyways, please review!

_Italics _mean either a flashback, thoughts, or emphasis on a certain word. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own RK!

* * *

Chapter 3 - Ghost

_"She looks familiar." A male voice to her right spoke. Her blue eyes drifted in that direction to meet a pair of brown eyes, the man's face hidden behind one of the black ski masks._

_After a moment of scrutinizing her, the man removed his mask to reveal bushy brown hair and a young face._

_Sanosuke Sagara. The name flashed through Kaoru's mind in an instant. Recognition flashed in her eyes as she scrambled back in her seat away from the tall man. Her face had paled upon seeing him as her gaze darted around the vehicle. She vaguely noted that it appeared to be a large SUV. Two people sat in the front, two more in the back, and Sanosuke was seated opposite from her in the middle._

_"What do you mean?" Came a quiet voice from the front seat. Kaoru's eyes flashed forward as the person in the passenger side seat turned around and pulled the black mask from his face. Fiery red hair was the first thing Kaoru saw before her eyes locked with a pair of eyes the color of molten gold. Her mind was blissfully numb for a moment before her heart did a flip in her chest. Recognition finally dawned on her as the man spoke._

_"Kaoru." Kenshin whispered, as he locked eyes with the woman he had betrayed._

Golden eyes narrowed as the red haired man in the front seat surveyed the prisoner they had just intercepted. His eyes quickly assessed the sickly pale color of the young woman's face, a small frown overcoming his own features. She had always been fair skinned, but the pale tone of her skin suggested she was unwell. Her face was dirty, blood was smeared down the left side of her face from a cut across her forehead, probably caused when the vehicle she had been traveling in crashed. Her hair was long, longer than it had ever been and his eyes traced the dirty, dark strands to just past her tiny waist. His eyes could not believe what he was seeing. She was so much tinier than she had been three years ago. Once more her body showed signs of being ill. He could see that beneath the dirty, grey shirt and baggy pants that she was wearing, the woman before him was disgustingly skinny, border line starvation. His hard, amber gaze finished surveying her body before lifting his eyes once more to her face, locking on a pair of shocked, blue eyes.

Kaoru had not stopped staring at the man in the front seat. She had never believed it possible that she would see him once more in her lifetime. Hell, she never wanted to see him again for a thousand lifetimes, not after all he had put her through. Her sapphire eyes were frozen, locked onto his angry amber gaze. She could not even bring herself to blush as his gaze had raked over her form, and she suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to hide herself. What had she just gotten herself into?

Kenshin continued glaring at the woman in the middle of the SUV before turning around in his seat, not saying a word. His fists clenched in anger. What kind of sick joke was this? This woman had caused him so many problems in the past. Unconsciously, he lifted his left hand to rub his right shoulder, as if easing the pain of an old wound. Kenshin's teeth ground together as he kept himself from turning around and harming the woman in the seat behind him. Whether she lived or died was not his decision, it was his master's, and Kenshin sure as hell was going to give his master a piece of his mind once they returned to the complex.

In the back of the van, Kaoru pulled her knees up onto the seat and wrapped her still tied hands around her legs. Her whole body ached. Her head hurt from where it had made impact earlier and she vaguely considered the notion of having a concussion, and the rest of her body felt as if someone had pushed her in front of a moving vehicle, even her wrists were becoming raw from the unforgiving rope tied around them. All she wanted to do was curl up in a dark corner and cry. She was now sure that wherever these people were taking her, it would not end well for her. _Out of the pan and into the fire,_ she thought to herself with a grimace.

Kaoru's sad blue eyes turned to stare at the man in the seat next to her. Sanosuke had not said a word since Kenshin had said her name. He was however, watching her with a scrutinizing stare, suspicion clear in his brown eyes. Kaoru felt small and defenseless against this group of masked men. She wanted to ask so many questions, but the tension in the SUV was too much to bear. With a heavy sigh, she leant her head against her knees and willed her uneasiness to leave.

* * *

An hour later, the dark SUV rolled to a stop outside of a five story building. The complex was gated and security guards roamed the walkways and fence line. Kaoru could barely get herself to care that she was probably going to be dumped into another prison cell again. She had stayed curled up on the seat next to Sanosuke the entire car ride, no one had spoken and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

When the vehicle stopped, the men inside opened the doors and exited. Sanosuke was firm but gentle when he grabbed Kaoru by her arms and helped her from the large vehicle. Sano was shocked, to say the least, at how delicate and fragile the woman in front of him was. She looked like she could easily break in his large hands. Her appearance was disconcerting. When Sano had met her four years ago at a party, the young woman had charmed him with her outgoing and spitfire personality. The woman in front of him now was no longer the Kaoru he had known, but a shell of her former self. He was sure that Kenshin was noticing the differences in the woman too. Sano could not help but wonder what had happened to her to make her look the way she did now.

Kaoru stumbled several times as the group made their way up the stairs and into the large building, however Sanosuke steadied her and kept her from falling. Kaoru ignored Sanosuke's helping hands and settled on staring absently ahead. Her kidnappers had gathered around her as she was escorted through the building. The driver and two people from the back seat were still masked, one was extremely short, shorter than Kaoru, while another towered over Kaoru by a good foot and a half. The only people who were unmasked were Kenshin and Sanosuke. Kaoru could not find it in herself to shake Sano from her arm, where his large hands gently led her forward. She was too tired and too weak to argue much with them. She realized for a moment that her head injury and blood loss might have actually been more severe than she first thought, that coupled with her already weakened body drained all the fight from her system. She hated to feel weak.

They took an elevator up to the fourth floor of the building and proceeded down another series of hallways before coming to a stop in front of a conference room. Kenshin, who led the group did not stop to knock as he pushed the double doors open and the group filed into the room. Kaoru's gaze shifted around the room, taking in the cream colored walls and conference table in the center. A dozen or so chairs surrounded the table as she looked around, her gaze finally settling on the man sitting at the head of the table. He appeared tall, even though he was already seated, with long black hair and cold eyes.

"Please have a seat everyone," the large, older man stated from his seat. His stony features watching her closely.

Anger overwhelmed Kaoru in that instant. Anger at her situation, anger at the people in this room, and anger over everything that had happened to her since she met Kenshin. Without warning, she wrenched her arm from Sanosuke's grasp, slamming her barefoot heel down onto his instep. Sanosuke cursed in pain as his hands released her to grab at his throbbing foot. Kenshin had been unprepared for Kaoru's outburst and immediately turned to grab her, but her cold stare stopped him in his tracks.

"It's alright Kenshin," the seated man spoke, a smirk on his face as he watched the frail looking woman. "If you would take a seat please Miss Kamiya, we could get down to business."

"You can go to hell for all I care," Kaoru responded angrily at the use of her birth name, her body shaking from its previous exertion. She had used the little energy she had left and felt exhausted as dizziness crept up on her. She was unprepared for Kenshin grabbing her arm and all but tossing her into one of the cushioned chairs at the table. Although she hated him, she was thankful that she was now seated. If she had still been standing, Kaoru was sure she would have passed out.

The other people who had escorted her to the conference room proceeded to take seats of their own while pulling their masks from their heads. Kaoru was surprised when a young woman was revealed to be the shorter of the three masked people. The tallest one as well as the average sized person were both men who seemed disinterested in what was going on in the room.

"Himura, report." The man at the head of the table demanded. Kaoru's gaze shifted to Kenshin who was seated across from her. Her glare returned as she looked at the man who had been the cause of all her misfortunes.

"Everything went according to plan. Pick up went fine." Kenshin spoke, looking straight into his boss' eyes. The leader nodded to him, and noticed the stony expression on Kaoru's face.

"Miss Kamiya," Hiko spoke, looking at their captive, "I hope the trip wasn't too rough for you. My name is Seijuro Hiko and I am responsible for the organization you see here."

Kaoru made a snorting sound in the back of her throat and turned her steel gaze on the man at the front of the table. "Oh the trip was simply lovely," Sarcasm reeked from her words and she added a sweet smile to it, her energy returning slightly.

Sano almost choked at her words and cast a glance between Kaoru, Kenshin, and Hiko.

"The trip was fine." Kenshin spoke as soon as she had finished in order to cover up her blunder. He cast his amber gaze in her direction and could not help but remember the circumstances under which they had parted last time.

_

* * *

_

_Kenshin sat in a little café eating lunch with Tomoe. The woman across from him smiled seductively across her plate at him._

_"So how's your assignment going?" Tomoe questioned, taking a sip from her water._

_"Pretty good." He replied taking a bite of his pasta and looking at her. He was lucky to have her. She did not let his newest assignment stand in the way of their relationship. A pang of guilt stabbed at him. He felt bad for deceiving Kaoru. Somewhere he had feelings for her too, but his relationship with Tomoe overshadowed his relationship with Kaoru. Then again, Kenshin tried to keep his relationship with Kaoru completely professional. At least he tried to. Sometimes though it seemed as if they were completely happy. He felt bad about deceiving her, but his job called for deceit._

_Kenshin glanced up at Tomoe. She was a pretty, classic kind of beauty. Kaoru had more of the girl-next-door type of beauty to her, that had somehow drawn Kenshin in. He needed to stop comparing them both. Shaking his head he pulled out his phone when as it began ringing._

_"Yes?" Kenshin questioned._

_"Kenshin, we've got a _problem_." It was Sano, Kenshin's longtime friend and co-worker. Sano was in charge on keeping an eye on Kaoru when Kenshin was not there to watch her._

_"What do you mean a problem?" Kenshin ground out, casting a glance in Tomoe's direction. Tomoe was pulling out her wallet. She whispered a goodbye to Kenshin and stood up to leave. He nodded in reply and waited for Sano's response._

_"Kaoru came to your apartment a while ago. She had some groceries, I guess to make you dinner or something." Sano stated. Kenshin was annoyed if that was all. "She left about two minutes ago like she'd seen a ghost. She saw me too. I think she knows something."_

_Kenshin absorbed the information before muttering a 'shit'. Kenshin pulled out his own wallet to pay and got up to leave. "Where is she now?"_

_"I'm following her. I think she's heading toward the Fujimiya's office." Sano answered as he followed Kaoru a few cars behind._

_"Damn it. Call the boss and see what he says. Call me back. I'm heading home to see what scared her." Kenshin replied._

_"Kenshin," Sano hesitated a moment before continuing, "She had a briefcase with her. Please tell me you didn't leave yours at home today."_

_"Crap." Kenshin muttered, walking swiftly out to his black convertible. Once in his car he pulled out his laptop and turned it on. He had mini video cameras set up throughout his apartment. "I'll call you back." Kenshin muttered into his cell and went to the video feed from the last few minutes in his apartment._

_Kenshin felt his heart drop when he saw her open the box in his nightstand drawer. The look on her face made him want to try to deny the truth. Groaning, he forwarded to the kitchen footage and then a hallway camera. This was bad, very bad. She would never trust him again. He should have known better than to leave the briefcase home for even one day._

_Truth be told, he was unsure if he could even complete his assignment. He did not know if he could look into her eyes and kill her. She had trusted him so completely with everything except what she did with her foster parents. Betraying that trust was against his code of honor._

_He ran his hand through his bushy, waist length red hair and groaned as he pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. His phone rang and he glared at it before answering. "Yes?"_

_"Boss wants you to take care of her now; he's sending some assistance." Sano spoke over the phone. "I'm sorry man, I know how you feel." Sano sympathized with Kenshin. His best friend was caught between two people. A cheating and greedy bitch named Tomoe and a sweet girl like Kaoru who was only caught up in matters that were not her fault._

_Everyone knew that Tomoe was cheating on Kenshin, except Kenshin himself. Either he was just blind to it, or he knew and just didn't want to admit it._

_"Fine." Came Kenshin's cold reply as he hung up the phone. Kenshin took several calming breaths. She would be home by now. He turned his car onto the street and drove towards the Fujimiya household._

_

* * *

_

The pain that Kenshin had buried all those years ago came back. He still remembered that look on her face and it had hurt him deeply. Then again, she was not as innocent as he had thought. His anger resurfaced and he leveled a cold stare in her direction.

"What do you want us to do with her, sir?" Kenshin spoke coldly, his gaze never leaving Kaoru.

Sano could feel the tension building. Kaoru had glanced at Kenshin and been caught by his cold gaze. The girl was like a deer caught in headlights until she regained her composure and glared back.

Kenshin had been told to kill her. _How dare he glare at me like _that, Kaoru thought angrily. She had just spent an unknown amount of time wasting away in a box because of him.

"I have some questions I want to ask before you _do_ anything to me," Kaoru said angrily before Hiko could answer Kenshin's question.

Hiko leaned back in his chair as he watched the silent interaction between Kaoru and Kenshin. He nodded his head at Kaoru, giving her permission to ask her questions.

Kaoru raised her chin slightly in stubbornness before voicing her questions, "What's today's date?"

The occupants of the room, except for Hiko, were surprised by the small woman's question. What kind of a question to ask was that?

"November 10, 2010," Hiko responded calmly.

The other people in the room watched the emotions play out on Kaoru's face. Confusion, shock, anger, and sadness played out across her features as she processed the information. "Three years," her voice was nothing but a whisper, but Kenshin heard it and he sat up a little straighter in his chair.

"What was that Missy?" Sanosuke was unsure if he had heard her correctly or not.

"Three years," Kaoru responded, her blue eyes somewhat unfocused as she turned to look at Kenshin. "That's how long I've been rotting away in that damn cell," Her eyes were sharp and angry as she stared accusingly at Kenshin.

Kenshin was surprised by her outburst of hatred directed at him. What did she mean by _cell_? Where had she been the last three years? He would save his questions for later, when he could talk to his master in private.

"What do you want from me?" Kaoru's voice was slightly stronger as she addressed Hiko once more.

"Ah, the reason for your being here?" Hiko responded with a question of his own, "My reasons are my own, I will discuss this with you later in private. However, you are here as a guest, not a prisoner. You are safe here," he emphasized the last bit as a means of reassurance for the haggard looking girl. "For now you should rest and regain your strength. Misao. Aoshi. Escort Miss Kamiya to her room."

"Oh goody, I wonder how big this one will be." Kaoru snapped automatically, still unsure of whether she could believe this man or not. He had not answered her question about why she was there in the first place and postponed it to a later time. She glared at the short woman, Misao, and tall man, Aoshi, as they came to stand beside her. Shakily, she stood from her seat, wincing slightly as the ropes rubbed once more over her raw wrists.

"Remove her restraints and make sure Megumi comes to take a look at her," Hiko added as an after thought.

Misao, the woman with green eyes was slightly shorter than Kaoru, and she released a soft sigh as the ropes were removed from her wrists. It had probably been twelve hours or so since they had been first put on her and she rubbed her wrists gently, trying to return the blood flow to her hands as her 'guards' escorted her from the room.

Kenshin turned his glare on Hiko once Kaoru was out of the room and ear shot. Sano smirked as he watched Hiko, who had the look of a conspirator about him as he smiled knowingly at Kenshin.

"Well now Kenshin," Hiko started before pausing and leaning back in his plush chair comfortably, folding his hands in his lap. "I want you and Sano to keep an eye on her for the next few days. She'll be staying here indefinitely."

The word indefinitely sounded final and Kenshin's stony exterior hardened even more. Molten amber glared angrily at Hiko as he assessed the look on his master's face. He knew what Hiko was trying to do. Kenshin's master was trying to get the two of them back together again, or at least something similar to that.

"Fine." Kenshin ground out standing up abruptly. Just because he had accepted his master's instructions, did not mean he was going to get along with the woman who had ruined his life.

"I'm not finished yet," Hiko said quietly, effectively stopping Kenshin's exit from the room. The red haired man stood angrily at the door, fists clenching and unclenching as a way to release his anger.

"Calm down Battousai, you look like your going to blow a fuse." The remaining person in the room chuckled across the table from Kenshin.

"Shut up, Saitoh." Kenshin shot back angrily.

"Behave Kenshin. I don't want you to upset her." Hiko said, a smirk crossing his face.

"I don't think he'll be upsetting her, but the other way around." Sano muttered under his breath, a grin crossing his own face as Kenshin slammed the door on his way out. "Things are definitely going to be interesting for the next few days." Sano stood up and made his way from the room.

* * *

Kaoru was escorted by Misao and Aoshi down the hallway and back into the elevator. Her escorts were silent as they went down one floor and entered a hallway that was painted a light blue and even had a few pictures hanging on the walls. She guessed that this was the residential part of the building. It seemed… friendlier. They walked past several doors before stopping in front of a room labeled six. Misao opened the door and the group walked in, holding the door open for Kaoru and Aoshi to enter.

Kaoru could not believe what she saw, a queen sized bed sat in the corner by a large bay window. A dresser sat across the room by an open door that led to what looked like a large bathroom.

There was a desk with a computer in the corner and a small television sat on a stand by a wardrobe which rested near the bed. Kaoru had no clothes, and she realized that it would remain empty for awhile.

"I guess we'll let you get settled for now. Megumi will be by in a little bit to take a look at you, she's a doctor," Misao said as she ushered the silent Aoshi out the door.

Kaoru looked around the room and made her way over to the bed. It had been three years since she had last slept on anything other than the cot in her dark, dirty cell. She touched the blue comforter and threw herself onto the bed, closing her eyes happily. This was how life should have been for her, instead of wasting away for three years. Opening her eyes she wiped the sudden moisture from her eyes. She had not cried in three years and she had no intentions of crying now, just because things had changed. She had not cried when they tortured her, threatened her, or beat her. She glared angrily around the room.

She stood and went to the wardrobe, opening the dark mahogany doors. She could not believe her eyes when she opened the first drawer. Inside were sweat pants and tank tops. Not exactly her size but close enough. She looked in the mirror inside the door and for the first time in years gazed back at herself.

Kaoru did not recognize the ghost in the mirror. A pale, dirt and blood streaked face stared back at her. Her eyes were lifeless and dead looking, and the purple bruise around her left eye and split lip were evidence of the beating she had received three days before. Her clothes, which might have at one point been white, were a dirty, grey color, with flecks of blood across her shirt. Kaoru's black hair was dirty and un-kept hanging down to her waist. She really needed a long, hot bath to scrub away the years of dirt and filth.

Sighing, she grabbed one of the pairs of sweat pants and a tank top and entered the bathroom. She closed and locked the door, still not feeling completely safe in this new place. She turned the hot water faucet on in the bath tub and proceeded to discard her filthy clothes.

* * *

When Kaoru left the bathroom almost two hours later, she had successfully scrubbed the dirt and grime away and had also shaved three years worth of hair from her body. She had also found a pair of scissors and cut her hair, which now rested just past her shoulders. She was comfortably wrapped in a soft bath robe as she walked back into the room.

Kaoru stopped in her tracks when she looked up and saw who was standing facing her. Her face hardened into a glare as she masked her emotions. Kenshin glanced up at her from where he was leaning against the wall by her door, watching as her face hardened.

"We need to talk."

* * *

Please review and tell me what you think of this updated chapter!

Yours truly,

DHM


End file.
